Even if you were fortunate enough to live in a home that went unscathed in the 2008 flood, it doesn't mean your vehicle went unscathed.

Some cars were left stationary as floodwaters rose to rooftops. Others suffered flood damage from drivers' miscalculated attempts to steer through flooded roadways.

All the while, region auto-body companies have seen an increase in flood-related business.

Keith Dittrich, owner of Dittrich's Auto Clinic in Griffith, witnessed the flooding firsthand from his home near a waterlogged Old Lincoln Highway.

"I saw cars going through like they were speedboats," he said. "It's a long existing problem that comes along with flooding."

Dittrich's shop has worked on nine cars (all had to be towed in) that suffered water damage from the flood.

Eight out of the nine cars, he said, were "saved." Certain cars are more likely to suffer water damage than others. Some cars are designed with low fresh air intakes, making the vehicles more susceptible to flood-related damage.

"It breathes the water in and sucks it up like a vacuum," Dittrich said.

Water causes engines to "lock up," he said.

A repair shop might drain the engine and transmission, pull the sparkplugs, check the dipstick to see if the engine sucked in water and even inspect the wheels and tires.

"The engines won't turn until we do what we do," Dittrich said.

Paul Gougeon, of Auto Masters in Hammond, hasn't seen too many flood-damaged cars of yet, but he has an explanation.

"One of the deals is that the car is so bad the owner has already called their insurance company," he said. "We've heard that some insurance companies will total out a car if water is up to the door."

Gougeon said motorists who aren't sure if their cars have suffered water damage should pay attention to sudden warning lights on the dashboards or musty or damp floor coverings.

Dallas Chinn, of Junior's Hand Car Wash & Detailing in Griffith, said the shop did a full detail on a flood victim's car that sat in over a foot of water and "had mud inside."

"It was encased in mud," he said. "We sucked out all the water. It was the worst one we had."